Article Sidebar

Share this Story: Students get welcome ticket to ride

Trending

Article content

Almost 60 per cent of students have traditionally taken a vehicle to classes at the University of Regina.

That could change a year from now when an affordable universal bus pass and increased service are set to begin.

Pending final approval from city council and the U of R Students’ Union, students will be able to take an enhanced bus service to and from the university during the fall and winter semesters for just $80-$90 per semester.

The U-Pass could save individual students hundreds of dollars in fuel and parking fees — not to mention ending the hassle of driving around campus trying to find a parking spot or running out between classes to plug meters.

Despite the successful track record of U-Passes at about 40 other Canadian universities, establishing a similar program at the U of R has been a long and bumpy ride. There were three failed referendums at the U of R before a slim majority (54 per cent) voted in favour in March.

Though there’s been some opposition to the idea, particularly as the transit pass will be added to the ever-rising tuition fees of all students, save for a few specific exemptions, we believe the program is long overdue.

An additional advantage for students is that they’ll have unlimited citywide transit access with their pass each semester — not just rides to and from school.

Still, there will be challenges.

The students’ union is in the driver’s seat when it comes to administering the program. It must collect fees and ensure the revenue covers the City of Regina’s $1.67-million annual operating cost.

Though the city will spend $2.75 million on five new five buses, the U-Pass fee revenue must also cover the cost of vehicle depreciation.

The advantages of the U-Pass extend beyond serving students as all Reginans will be able to take advantage of expanded transit service in several areas of the city. It’s estimated “non-university customers” will bring in an additional $10,000 per year.

A final thought: As Regina expands towards a target population of 300,000 in the next 20 years, this venture could grow a new generation of transit users.

Share this article in your social network

Share this Story: Students get welcome ticket to ride

Trending

Related Stories

This Week in Flyers

Article Comments

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

Notice for the Postmedia Network

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.